SAN DIEGO –The Acosta family set out on Friday to conquer the San Diego County Fair. We arrived and were on a scavenger hunt to find hidden Jewish items. We laced up our running/walking shoes, filled up our water bottles, cellphones all charged and were ready to take on the challenge.
First stop, the “Let’s Go Retro” theme exhibit. The exhibit covering decades from the 1950’s to the 2000’s featured musicians, toys, fashion, technology and home décor found.. The kids and husband made a beeline to the toys and video game section, and I went to the fashion and music section.
Hunting for Jewish celebrities that inspired the decades, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Madonna all have or had a tad-bit of Jewishness in their lives.
Elvis Presley had a maternal great-grandmother who was Jewish and although Judaism seemed to be lost in his grandmother’s and mother’s generation, there is no record of anyone renouncing it. Halachically, he may be considered Jewish but he never practiced our religion.. But as we know, his fashion and music are still very popular. In fact, at the Chevrolet Paddock Stage, Victor Trevino Jr. performed his “Ultimate Elvis Presley Experience” and I did a little singing and dancing which embarrassed my kids.
According to The Forward, Elizabeth Taylor converted to Judaism in 1959 when she married her third husband Mike Todd. Marilyn Monroe grew up in a foster family that was devoutly fundamentalist and later converted when she married playwright Arthur Miller. Madonna dabbled in Kabbalah teachings and Jewish mysticism, so she gets a Jewish nod.
In the toys and video section, I found a display of a Barbie collection throughout the decades. However, I was a little disappointed with the small collection. I know of someone who has Barbies that are in mint condition in the boxes and have never been opened. Who says Barbies are just for little girls? I am a grown woman and I still get a kick out of them
Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie, was Jewish and many have speculated whether the doll is “Jewish” as well. This is still an ongoing debate.
In the music section, I found an 8-track collage with a few artists next to each other which made for a nice photo. According to Wikipedia, Neil Diamond grew up in a Jewish family, Barry Manilow was raised by a single mother whose family was Jewish and Barbara Streisand also grew up in a Jewish family.
Onto the Fine Wood Workers Association exhibit section where I found Tifereth Israel Synagogue’s Men’s Club and Sisterhood member Bill Goldschneider’s masterpiece.
This is a samurai warrior. He used the scroll saw -fretwork with the medium of bamboo. He won third place; my kids and husband were in awe of the details. It was worth seeing in person since the picture does not capture the intense time and detail in this display.
I found a work by Michael Moran titled “Coexist” with the medium of Douglas Fir and Aromatic Cedar. He received a special award and first place from the San Diego Scroll Saw Club for fretwork. Not only did I find
a hidden “Star of David” but I liked the message about accepting everyone for who they are. I thought of Rodney King saying “can’t we all just get along?”.
Next up, the Student’s Showcase where I liked a huge butterfly that covered a large section of the wall.
It was done by Palomar College student, Sampaguita Bates. I love butterflies. They remind me of the resilience we have as Jewish people and how we associate butterflies with the remembrance of the Holocaust. They also symbolize new life and new beginnings.
As the kids were getting restless to move on, I came across this image in the photography section of the fourth night of Chanukah. The photo was taken by Poway High School student, Sierra Marshall. As I studied the picture, I saw a few unlit chanukiahs in the background and what might have been photos of the student’s Bubbe and Zayde (grandparents).
I know that last year’s “Best of Show” winner Leah Horstman had some “firsts” in various categories of nature photography this year, but regrettably, I was too pressed at that point to go see that exhibit.
The Home-Made section was our last stop before we crawled back to the car after an exhausting day. I found two homemade table runners in the quilting section. “Joy” was made by Carlsbad resident Denise Ross and the other one was made by Carlsbad resident Leah Cohen. In “Joy” you can find the lit menorah in the “J” and the “Star of Davids” in the “O.” In the next one I can see the middle design is making a continuous “8” for the 8 nights of Chanukah, along with the chanukiahs in the fabric.
In a display case, I found another immaculate collection of folded books by Bill Goldschneider. The pictures do not show all the precise definition and perfection that went into this awe-inspiring work, which should be seen in person. Goldschneider won first place for his five folded books portraying Star Wars themes and characters. My kids and husband took time to stop and look at the precision and since they are Star Wars geeks, they enjoyed being able to identify the characters.
If you are looking for healthy meal options at the fair, they are few and far between. I found fried food, covered in cheese, grease and a lot of meat options. I did find an Impossible burger at the Wahlberg’s Burgers stand. My husband got a beef burger at a different stand and the kids got an Oreo ice cream shake and fish and chips. The rides were overpriced, and the kids only rode a few and said they were okay.
All in all, The Acostas accomplished our mission of finding Jewish treasures to report on.
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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.
I was there! My favorite ride was the DC Superheroes fun house! I also got a really good Oreo milkshake!
Elvis’s mom.’s tombstone at Graceland has a Jewish Star on it.
I went to Graceland in High School and wept at Elvis’ grave, lol.